How Many Toes Does a Cat Have? Polydactyl Cats Explained

How many toes: the count

Starting with the headline question, here is the clear answer before we explore the interesting details, because the number is simple but the arrangement is worth knowing.

A normal domestic cat has 18 toes in total. These are distributed as five toes on each of the two front paws and four toes on each of the two back paws, which adds up to five plus five plus four plus four, equalling 18. So a typical cat has more toes on its front feet (five each) than on its back feet (four each), a small but consistent asymmetry that surprises many people who assume all four paws have the same number. It is one of those small facts about cats that owners can live alongside for years without ever really noticing until they stop and count. This 18-toe layout is the standard for cats, and if you gently count your cat’s toes (assuming it will let you), a front paw and a back paw laid side by side, you should find five in front and four behind. It is a quick, harmless little bit of fun to try on a relaxed, trusting cat, and it settles the question for your own pet once and for all. The one common exception is the polydactyl cat, which is born with extra toes owing to a genetic trait and can therefore have more than 18, sometimes considerably more, which the rest of this guide explores in detail. But for the great majority of cats, the answer to how many toes they have is a tidy 18, made up of five on each front paw and four on each back paw, and understanding why the front and back differ, which comes down to the dewclaw, is the next piece of the picture. It is a small anatomical detail that most owners never think about, yet it neatly explains a surprising quirk of their cat’s feet.

Why front and back differ

The natural follow-up to the toe count is why cats have more toes in front than behind, and the answer lies in one special toe on the front paws that the back paws lack.

The reason cats have five toes on each front paw but only four on each back paw is the dewclaw, an extra toe present on the front feet but normally absent from the back. On each front paw, four of the toes are the main, weight-bearing toes that touch the ground and provide traction and support as the cat walks, stands, and runs, while the fifth toe, the dewclaw, sits higher up on the inner side of the leg, roughly in the position of a thumb, and does not touch the ground. So although a cat has five toes per front paw, it effectively walks on four of them, with the dewclaw held up out of the way. The back paws, by contrast, have four toes and no dewclaw in the normal cat, which is why the count is four rather than five behind. This difference reflects the different roles of the front and back legs: the front paws, with their gripping dewclaw, are used for grasping, holding prey, and climbing, while the back legs are geared more toward propulsion and pushing off, and do not need the extra gripping toe. So the front-versus-back difference in a cat’s toe count comes down simply to the presence of the dewclaw on the front feet and its absence on the back, and understanding what that dewclaw actually does, covered next, completes the explanation of the normal feline foot.

The dewclaw explained

Since the dewclaw is the key to why front and back paws differ, it is worth understanding this often-overlooked toe a little better, because it is a genuinely useful part of a cat’s anatomy rather than a pointless leftover.

The dewclaw is the small toe located higher up on the inside of a cat’s front leg, above the paw and set back from the other toes, roughly where a human thumb would be, and it does not touch the ground when the cat walks. Far from being useless, though, the dewclaw serves real functions related to gripping. Cats use their dewclaws to help hold onto things: to grasp and grip prey when hunting, to hold toys and objects, and to help grip surfaces when climbing, so the dewclaw acts a little like an opposable thumb, giving the cat extra holding power that its ground-touching toes cannot provide. You will often see a cat use its dewclaws when clutching a toy to its chest to bunny-kick it, or when hanging onto something. Because the dewclaw does not make contact with the ground, its claw does not get worn down by walking the way the other claws partly do, which means dewclaw nails can grow long and curl if not kept trimmed, an important point for nail care in all cats, and especially in polydactyls with extra dewclaw-like toes. The back legs normally have no dewclaw, though occasionally a cat is born with back dewclaws too. Extra back dewclaws are one of the milder ways the polydactyl trait can show itself, and they are worth checking for nail overgrowth just like front dewclaws. So the dewclaw is a functional ‘thumb’ toe on the front paws, used for gripping prey, toys, and climbing surfaces, that accounts for the extra front toe and needs a little nail-care attention because it does not wear down naturally, a small but genuinely useful part of the standard feline foot. Watch a cat wrestle a toy mouse and you will often see those dewclaws hook in to hold it steady, a glimpse of the thumb-like grip they provide.

What is a polydactyl cat?

Having covered the normal 18-toed cat, we come to the star of this topic: the polydactyl cat, the cat that breaks the usual count by being born with extra toes, and which owners find so charming.

A polydactyl cat is a cat born with more toes than the usual number, the result of a natural genetic mutation, so instead of the standard 18 toes it has one or more extra, often giving its paws a wide, mitten-like or ‘double’ appearance. The word ‘polydactyl’ comes from Greek roots meaning ‘many digits’, which is exactly what these cats have. The extra toes appear most commonly on the front paws, producing the classic look of a cat that seems to have thumbs or oversized, mitten-shaped front feet, and sometimes on the back paws as well. A polydactyl cat might, for instance, have six or seven toes on a paw instead of the usual five, and where several paws are affected the total toe count climbs above 18. The trait is caused by a dominant gene, which means it is readily passed down through families of cats, so polydactyls often run in particular lineages and can be common in certain areas where the gene is well established. Crucially, polydactyly is generally a harmless, benign trait: the extra toes are usually just an endearing quirk that does not trouble the cat at all, though, as covered later, they do call for a bit of extra nail care. Polydactyl cats go by several affectionate nicknames, including ‘Hemingway cats’ (explained next), ‘mitten cats’, and ‘thumb cats’, all reflecting their distinctive paws. So a polydactyl cat is simply a cat with extra toes from a harmless inherited trait, often sporting cute mitten-like or thumbed paws, and it is one of the most charming natural variations you can find in cats. For many owners, discovering their kitten has mitten paws is a happy surprise that becomes a favourite feature.

Hemingway cats

The most famous nickname for polydactyl cats has a genuinely charming literary origin worth telling, because it explains why so many people call these extra-toed cats ‘Hemingway cats’.

‘Hemingway cat’ is a popular nickname for a polydactyl cat, and it comes from the celebrated American author Ernest Hemingway, who was a devoted cat lover and kept polydactyl cats. The story goes that Hemingway was given a white polydactyl cat (often said to be named Snow White or Snowball) by a ship’s captain, and he kept it, and its many-toed descendants, at his home in Key West, Florida. That house is now the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, and it remains famous to this day for being home to a colony of dozens of cats, a large number of them polydactyl descendants of Hemingway’s original cat, which visitors to the museum can see wandering the grounds. Thanks to this well-known association, polydactyl cats came to be widely called ‘Hemingway cats’, and the name has stuck as a common, affectionate term for any cat with extra toes. There is also a seafaring thread to the story: sailors historically valued polydactyl cats aboard ships, believing that the extra toes made them superior mousers and gave them better balance and grip on a rolling deck, which is one reason polydactyl cats became especially common in port towns and coastal regions (and how a ship’s captain came to give one to Hemingway in the first place). Whether or not the extra toes truly made better mousers, the belief was strong enough that many a sailing ship carried a many-toed cat as a valued crew member. So a Hemingway cat is simply a polydactyl, extra-toed cat, named after Ernest Hemingway and his famous many-toed felines, a charming piece of feline trivia that has given these special cats one of their best-loved names. It is a nice thought that a writer’s fondness for his cats over half a century ago still shapes how we talk about extra-toed cats today.

How many extra toes?

A natural curiosity about polydactyl cats is just how many extra toes they can have, and the answer ranges from a modest couple of extra toes to some genuinely record-breaking totals.

Polydactyl cats vary widely in how many extra toes they have. Many simply have one or two extra toes on an affected paw, for example six or seven toes on a front paw instead of the usual five, which already gives that distinctive mitten look, and if more than one paw is affected the total naturally rises above the normal 18. At the more extreme end, some cats have considerably more extra toes, and the record-holders are remarkable: the Guinness World Record for the most toes on a cat stands at 28 (with various sources citing cats that have had around 27 or 28 toes), far beyond the standard 18. Such high counts are unusual, however, and the great majority of polydactyl cats have a more modest handful of extra toes rather than record-breaking numbers. The exact number and arrangement differ from cat to cat depending on how strongly the trait is expressed and which paws are affected, front paws being the most common site. Whatever the count, the extra toes are generally harmless, though a cat with many extra toes, or with extra toes in awkward positions, may need more attentive nail care, since additional claws can sometimes be poorly placed or, if not trimmed, grow into the paw. So a polydactyl cat can have anything from just one or two extra toes up to a documented record of around 28 in total, with most falling comfortably in the modest range and only a rare few reaching the extraordinary counts that make headlines. When a cat with more than twenty toes does turn up, it tends to become a minor local celebrity, which is part of the enduring charm of these cats.

Do extra toes cause problems?

Owners understandably wonder whether all those extra toes cause a polydactyl cat any difficulty, and the reassuring answer is that they are usually harmless, with one practical point of care to keep in mind.

For the most part, polydactyly is completely harmless, and the extra toes do not cause the cat any problems or discomfort; polydactyl cats run, jump, climb, hunt, and play just like any other cat, and many are notably dexterous, using their extra ‘thumbs’ to grip and manipulate objects. Some polydactyl owners even report their cats learning to swat at doorhandles or pick up toys with unusual skill, thanks to those extra digits. It adds a little extra character to an already characterful kind of cat. Those clever, oversized paws are part of why polydactyls inspire such genuine affection in the people who share their homes with them. So there is no need to worry that a cat with extra toes is somehow disadvantaged, in the vast majority of cases it lives a completely normal, healthy life. There is, however, one genuine practical consideration: nail care. Because some of the extra toes, particularly extra dewclaw-like toes that do not touch the ground, do not get their claws worn down through normal walking, and because extra claws can sometimes be positioned at odd angles, the nails on these toes can grow long, curl round, and in some cases grow into the paw pad, which is painful and can lead to infection. For this reason, polydactyl cats often need more regular and careful nail trimming than usual, with attention paid to every extra toe. Very occasionally, extra toes may be malformed or, rarely, associated with other minor issues, so it is worth having a vet examine a polydactyl kitten’s paws to confirm all is well. It is also worth distinguishing benign polydactyly from other, less common paw abnormalities, which a vet can do. This distinction matters because true polydactyly is benign, whereas a few other paw conditions are not, so a professional look gives peace of mind. A quick paw check at the kitten’s first routine vet visit is usually all it takes to be reassured. But with routine nail care, extra toes are simply a harmless, endearing feature. So extra toes do not generally cause problems, and the main thing a polydactyl cat needs is diligent nail trimming to keep those extra claws from overgrowing.

Caring for polydactyl paws

Following from the nail-care point, it is worth spelling out how to look after a polydactyl cat’s special paws, because a little regular attention keeps those extra toes healthy and comfortable.

Caring for a polydactyl cat is, in almost every respect, exactly the same as caring for any cat, with one important addition: more regular and thorough nail care. Because the extra toes, especially extra dewclaws, may not wear their claws down naturally and can sit at awkward angles, you should check and trim all of the cat’s claws, including every extra toe, more frequently than you might for an ordinary cat, to prevent any nail from growing too long, curling, or growing into the pad. Get into the habit of gently examining each paw regularly, spreading the toes to see all the nails (extra toes can be tucked away and easy to miss), and trimming just the sharp tips of any that are getting long, taking care to avoid the pink ‘quick’. Introducing nail trimming gently and positively, ideally from kittenhood, with treats and praise, makes this routine much easier, and a vet or vet nurse can show you how and check the paws if you are unsure. If you ever find a claw has already overgrown or grown into the pad, have a vet deal with it, as this can be painful and prone to infection. Providing scratching posts helps with claw maintenance too, though it does not substitute for trimming the non-ground-touching extra claws. Beyond the paws, provide everything any cat needs, good food, veterinary care, play, and affection, and enjoy the polydactyl’s charming feature. So caring for polydactyl paws comes down to regular, careful checking and trimming of all the toes, including the extras, to keep the claws healthy, alongside the normal care every cat deserves, and those distinctive mitten paws will stay comfortable and problem-free. Many owners come to treasure the little routine of checking those extra toes, since it is a small task that keeps a much-loved feature healthy.

Are they a breed?

A common misconception is that polydactyl cats are a breed of their own, so it is worth clarifying what polydactyly actually is and how it relates to cat breeds.

Polydactyly is not a breed; it is a genetic trait, extra toes, that can appear in cats of many different breeds and in ordinary, mixed-breed domestic cats alike, so a polydactyl cat can be virtually any type of cat that happens to carry the responsible gene. Because that gene is dominant and passed down through families, polydactyl cats tend to cluster in particular lineages and to be more common in certain geographic areas, historically places with a strong tradition of ship and port cats, such as parts of the eastern United States, Canada, and southwest England, so in some regions polydactyls are a fairly familiar sight while in others they are rarely seen. Certain breeds do have a notable association with the trait: the Maine Coon, for example, historically included many polydactyls, with the extra toes thought to have helped these large cats on snowy ground and aboard ships, and there are even breeding programmes and breed lines developed specifically around the polydactyl trait (such as certain American Polydactyl and PixieBob lines). But these are exceptions; for the overwhelming majority of cats, polydactyly is simply a harmless, inherited quirk that turns up across mixed-breed cats and various pedigrees rather than defining a breed of its own. So polydactyl cats are not a breed but rather cats of many kinds carrying an inherited extra-toe trait, common in some regions and family lines and rarer in others, and always a delightful, harmless feature to find in a cat, whatever its breed. Whether it turns up in a pedigree Maine Coon or a moggy from a rescue, the extra-toed paw is the same happy accident of genetics.

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